Spirits
by Horch
Summary: Annie Odair still can't get over her husband's death so she seeks the help of a spirit medium, who can channel the spirit of Finnick. Will all go well? Really short chapters. Complete.
1. Maddy Fey

**The Hunger Games and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney do NOT belong to me. Title is subject to change.**

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><p><em>Maddy.<em>

"Maddy," Mother says, "your client will be coming tomorrow. She's a widow, by the name of Annie Odair. She wants you to contact her dead husband, Finnick Odair. I expect you to be kind to Mrs. Odair; she is quite…"—Mother struggles to find the right word—"fragile."

I nod. "Okay," I reply slowly. _This session will go well_, I tell myself. It will not fail, not like the channeling session of great-great-great grandmother Maya. That story is kind of like a legend now. Mystic Maya accused of murdering a man while performing of a channeling… unforgivable. "Does she have a picture of her husband?" I ask. I need to know how he looks like for the channeling to work.

"Yes," Mother answers. She reaches into a pocket of her dress and brings out the picture. She hands it to me. "Take good care of it, Madeleine. It is of utmost importance to your client." I study the picture, or rather, the man inside the picture. Finnick Odair.

He's quite handsome, I must admit. In the picture, he looks to be about twenty-three or twenty-four, with messy bronze hair and sea-green eyes that look like they have seen too much. And his smile… it's certainly charming, as well as carefree. I decide to give him a nine-point-five on the handsome scale.

I look up. While I was busy looking at Mr. Odair, Mother had left. Oh, well. She probably had to attend to the trainees. Oh, wait. That's right. I need to train, too. I can't perform the channeling with weak powers. I'll disappoint my client. Now wouldn't _that_ be unforgivable. I slip the picture into my pocket and head to training.

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><p>"Mystic Maddy, is it true that…"—my cousin lowers her voice—"you're going to perform a channeling tomorrow? For Annie Odair?"<p>

I sigh. Wow, news is spreading fast. Well, the fact that it's already reached Matilda isn't surprising. _No one_ ever got to perform a channeling at my age—fifteen. The youngest would be Mystic Maya herself, at eighteen. And see how well _that_ turned out? It's a good thing Phoenix Wright was there to defend her! "Why, Matilda, you _know _Annie Odair?" I hiss back.

I'm not surprised when Matilda whispers, "Yes." She is _such _a big gossip. "Don't you ever read?" I do. "Well, Annie Odair was in this thing called the Hunger Games, where children fight to the death. The last one standing wins. And Annie won. But after seeing her partner beheaded, she went crazy."

"Really," I say. "And what happened after that?"

"She fell in love with this guy called Finnick Odair," Matilda continues. "Finnick was in the Hunger Games, too. That was when people started to rebel. So, yeah… the rebellion started. But before Finnick went off to war, he married Annie. It's a shame he died, right when he was about to be a father!"

"Really!" I say. "That's too bad. Anyway, where'd you learn all this?"

"I went out to the city two days ago, and bought a book about it," Matilda replies simply.

"Okay." I say, my thoughts flashing back to the picture of Finnick Odair. I say goodbye to Matilda, and head back to my room. That's when her story really begins to sink in, and when my argument with myself begins.

_My client's crazy. My client, Annie Odair, is crazy. _

No, that was years ago; she might not be crazy now.

_Still, you never know._


	2. Reminiscence

_Annie._

I hold two-year-old Finn in my arms. I didn't want to leave him at home—what if something happened to him? I can't bear to lose another loved one, not after Finnick— I gulp. _Don't think about that, Annie._ _Be strong. You can do it. _Oh, how I wish it was that easy to be strong!

_You have to be strong, Annie,_ my conscience tells me, _for Finn. _I look at Finn.

He's a mini-Finnick. His hair is the exact shade of bronze as his father's. And underneath those closed eyelids are gentle eyes the color of the sea. One day he'll grow up to be strong and handsome, just like his father is—_was._ Finnick… Finnick… why did he have to go? Finnick… I shut my eyes. _Be strong, Annie._

The train shakes, waking up my son. "Mommy…" Finn says softly.

"Don't worry, Finn, it's okay. Everything's okay," I reply. Finn nods and goes back to sleep. The train to Kurain village is unusually rocky. I think it's the terrain. According to Plutarch, this village we're going to is located in the mountains. I guess he's right.

The passenger sitting beside me looks at us wistfully. I smile to myself. People often give us those looks. Right now, I'll bet she's wishing for a son this handsome. I stroke my son's bronze hair proudly. He's so much like Finnick…

Finnick. I miss him so much it hurts. Why did he have to go, right when he was about to be a father? If he hadn't gone off to war, he would be experiencing all the good things I'm experiencing right now, like being Finn's parent. _But, Annie, he did it so you and Finn would live in a better world,_ I tell myself.

But still. I'd rather live in a world with the Hunger Games and with Finnick, than a world without the Hunger Games and with no Finnick. _Annie, you mustn't think like that! He died to give you and Finn a better life, with no Games, with no evil Capitol._

My conscience is right. I must not think like that. I shut my eyes. _Bad, Annie._

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><p>The train comes to a halt. Huh. We're probably here already. Finn's eyelids flutter open. "Are we here?" he asks. I nod. "You look sad, Mommy. What's wrong?" I shake my head. But something <em>is<em> wrong. Finnick's gone. And that's just plain wrong. Finn stares at me, begging me to tell the truth.

"Nothing's wrong, Finn. Nothing will be, as long as you're here," I say. Well, at least a part of it is true. As long as Finn's here, I won't be crushed like a bug by Finnick's… er, passing. Finn stands up and gives me a hug. I hug him back. "Come on, Finn, it's time to go." I scoop him up, and exit the train.

A woman in a strange dress greets us. "Hello," she says. "Are you Annie Odair?" I nod. "And who's this?" she asks, pointing at Finn.

I try to come up with an explanation as to why he's here. I could say, _I couldn't leave him at home, something might happen to him._ Or, _Finn begged me to let him come with him_, which is sort of true. But instead, I just say, "This is my son, Finn Odair."

"I see. My daughter, the medium who will perform the channeling, is in the manor. Please follow me," she says. We follow her inside. She leads us into a large room she calls the 'Meditation Room'. The woman tells us to wait, and leaves. Then she comes back, this time with a girl who looks to be about fifteen.

"I'm Maddy," the girl says.


	3. Conversation

**Okay. First: I'm sorry about the ending. It's sudden, I know. And there's no finality. But I _had_ to end the chapter somehow.**

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><p><em>Maddy.<em>

Wow. She looks perfectly… sane. She doesn't look crazy at all. "Annie," she replies. "This is Finn."

"Hi, Finn," I say to the baby in her arms. Finn smiles at me. Wow. He looks just like the man in the picture, which I guess isn't so strange, because they're father and son. I turn back to Annie. "He's absolutely adorable." I say. Annie beams at me.

"Thank you," she says proudly. After two minutes of silence, she adds, "He looks just like his father, doesn't he?" I nod in assent.

"Speaking of his father… we're going to start the channeling at two o' clock," I inform her.

"I'll prepare the Channeling Chamber. In the meantime," Mother interrupts, "why don't you get to know each other better?" I blush tomato-red. I'm not good at introducing myself, let alone telling others about myself. I'm more of the listening type of person. I don't talk about myself—I listen to others talk about themselves.

"Okay, I'll start," Annie volunteers. I make a mental note to thank her later. Mother gives us a nod and leaves for the Chamber. When she's gone, Annie breathes a sigh of relief. It's not that hard to tell she gets tense easily. I give her a reassuring smile.

"Well… do you want to sit down?" I offer her. She looks awfully tired, standing there with a baby in her arms.

"Please," Annie replies. I point at the wooden chairs about five meters away. She walks to the chairs and sits down on one of them. "Thanks, Maddy." I nod. Finn grins at me. He's really cute, like a mini version of his father. I grin back at him.

"It's no problem, really," I answer, taking a seat on the chair next to Annie. Silence. To break it, I say, "I'm sorry. About Finnick's death, I mean."

Annie takes a deep breath and sighs. It's not a tired sigh, I know that much. It's more of a sad, melancholic sigh. I choose that moment to stare straight into Annie's green eyes, which are getting clouded up. I wonder why…

Then, I remember my cousin's words: _But after seeing her partner beheaded, she went crazy._ This might be one of her… um, episodes.

"I—I'm sorry, Annie! Are you all right?" I ask her frantically. Finn gives me a look saying, _let me handle this._ I let him. Finn stands up, says a few words to his mother, and hugs her.

"Y—Yes… I just miss him, that's all…" Annie answers. I pat her hand sympathetically. Annie decides to change the subject. "So… can you tell me about your powers?" she asks me. I shrug. It's really complicated, and I don't know how to explain it.

But this is one question I cannot avoid. So I try my best to answer. "Well, um… I have the power to contact your dead—I mean your husband. When I use that power… well, we trade places. Finnick will borrow my body for a while. During that time, I'll be unconscious. Do you get it so far? It's awfully complicated."

Annie nods. "I get it. Can you tell me more?"

"Okay. You see, my power isn't really that strong yet, so the time you have with each other is limited. So when I can't take anymore, we'll trade places again and Finnick will go back to his world." I explain. Annie nods. "Do you get it?"

"I guess so."

"Hey, Annie… um, how old is Finn?" I ask her.

"He's two, turning three this year." Wait. What? Only two?

"Oh, I see."

"Why?"

"Oh, nothing."


	4. Lunchtime

**Please review! I want to know what you think about this story.**

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><p><em>Annie.<em>

Maddy's mother—who still hasn't introduced herself—comes out of the Chamber. "Hello," she greets us. "Mrs. Odair, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Myra. It's a pleasure to meet you and your son." She extends her hand for me to shake. I shake it reluctantly. "He's quite handsome."

"Thank you," Finn replies. I beam with pride. I've been trying to teach Finn to say 'thank you' whenever someone compliments him/his handsomeness. And I guess the four-and-a-half hours of teaching him paid off. Finn smiles at Myra sweetly. His smile isn't Finnick's famous, charming smile, but mine. I'm glad he got at least my smile, though Finnick's smile is better.

"You're quite welcome. Would you like some lunch?" she asks. Finn shakes his head, and I follow suit.

"Thanks, but we ate on the train." I answer.

"We insist." Maddy says. Her face has taken on a determined expression. I stifle a laugh. I think someone has a crush on my little two year old son. I can't blame her, though, Finn is handsome, and cute, and all those good things. If Finnick were here, he'd laugh at Maddy. Finnick… I wish he were here.

"Fine," I reply, for Maddy's sake. Finn giggles. "What's for lunch?"

"Burgers, I hope," Maddy says enthusiastically, rubbing her hands together.

"Glutton," Myra reprimands her, "you are just like Mystic Maya. According to her biography, she has four stomachs: one for steak, one for burgers, one for sweets and one for other foods. You are just like her, Madeleine." Maddy snorts and starts laughing.

She turns to me. "I'm sorry, Annie, my mother loves reading about Mystic Maya. She's practically her idol!" she says, still laughing. I don't get it. Who's this 'Mystic Maya'? And why is there a 'Mystic' attached to her name? I don't understand. "And Mother, I'm sorry to inform you, but Mystic Maya was only _joking._"

"Who's that?" Finn asks.

"Well, Mystic Maya is someone to be talked about over lunch." Myra says. "Follow me." We follow her through a long, narrow hallway called 'Winding Way' and into a room painted beige with a table and a few chairs in the middle. It's simple, but beautiful.

Maddy sits down on a chair. I sit down on the chair beside her, with Finn set on my lap. Myra says something about getting the food and plates, then, leaves the room. She comes back three minutes later, and takes a seat on the chair across Maddy.

I take a bite of the pot roast. It's actually very delicious. I give some to Finn, and when he tastes it, his eyes light up with pleasure. "This is good!" Finn exclaims. Myra smiles at him warmly. Wow, among the two of us, I think Myra likes Finn more. Not surprising.

"I'm glad you like it," Myra replies.

"So who's Mystic Maya?" I ask after I swallow the food.

"She's my great-great-great grandmother. She was quite unlucky; always getting into trouble. Many times she was framed for murder! But the worst part is, her aunt plotted to kill her, all because she was jealous. It's a good thing this guy called Phoenix Wright was there to help." Maddy explains after swallowing her pot roast. Her own aunt tried to kill her? That's so… sad.

"Mommy, what's mur-der? What's jea-lous? What's plot-ted?" Finn asks me.

"It's nothing you should know," I reply. He's only two years old, for Pete's sake! He shouldn't be listening to this stuff. "Er, Maddy, can you keep that murder talk between just the two of us next time? Finn isn't ready for it," I murmur to Maddy. She nods.

After lunch, we talk some more, mostly about channeling. Somehow, I manage to get the conversation away from Finnick. Even the sound of his name makes my eyes brim with tears.

When it's around one-forty-five, Myra interrupts our conversation.

"Maddy, Mrs. Odair, the channeling is about to start. Please proceed to the Channeling Chamber immediately."


	5. Channeling

**Again, the ending is lousy. But I had to end it somehow. Anyway, please review!**

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><p><em>Annie.<em>

"But, what about Finn?" I ask worriedly. I glance at the sleeping boy in my arms. "Do we bring him with us?"

"Oh, heavens, no! We can't let just _anybody_ see the secrets of the Kurain Channeling Technique!" Myra exclaims. I raise my eyebrow. _He's not just anybody. He wants to see his father, too! _"I know he wants to see his father, too, but something might happen. I'll watch him. Do not worry." I purse my lips.

"Okay." I reply. "But… Finn wants to see his father, too."

"Annie," Maddy says, "he's too young. He might knock over a candle, or worse, he might touch the sacred items, which are gifts for the spirits. If he touches the sacred items, they won't be sacred anymore," Maddy explains. I sigh and nod. I don't think Finn would like that.

"Okay, fine," I reply.

"Maddy, do you have the key?" Myra asks. Maddy nods and shows her a black key with a green jewel in the middle. "Good. Now, Mrs. Odair, Maddy's powers aren't very strong yet. You have one hour with your Finnick at most. I wish you luck." She bows. Maddy smiles confidently.

"Oh, don't worry, Mother! Nothing will go wrong," she assures her. "It's not like there's a murderer hiding behind the folding screen!"

"Madeleine," Myra warns her. "Stop making fun of Mystic Maya." Maddy sighs. "And besides, you will wake up little Finn." Just then, Finn wakes up and starts whimpering. "See? You already woke him up. That was very cruel of you, Maddy." Maddy rolls her eyes and pouts.

"I guess we'll start the channeling now. Bye, Mother," Maddy says. I nod at Myra as she tries to rock Finn to sleep. Maddy inserts the jewel-adorned key into the lock and turns it. The doors open creakily, revealing a room full of candles. There's a rug in the middle, for sitting, probably.

"Annie, you kneel down over there, put your hands together like this," Maddy says, demonstrating, "and close your eyes. Annie, whatever you do, do not open them until you hear his name." What odd instructions, but I do as she says, except for the closing eyes part. Maddy sits down across me, puts her hands together like she's making a wish, and closes her eyes. That's when I close mine.

Maddy mutters a few things. I really want to open my eyes, but I keep them closed. "Finnick Odair," I hear her mumble faintly, like she's about to go unconscious.

Is it working? What's happening to her? Am I going to see my Finnick again? I have a million questions. Oh, right. His name. My eyes fly open, and what I see next is indescribable. A bronze haired man with gentle sea-green eyes gazing straight at me.

One word escapes my lips. "Finnick!" I cry. He smiles at me. How long has it been since I've seen that smile? Two, three years? I don't care. I jump straight into his arms. "Finnick!" I cry again. My tears stain his dress. "Finnick! Y-You don't know how…" I break down and start wailing.

"Shh, Mermaid, don't cry," Finnick whispers into my ear. "I missed you."

"Oh, Finnick, I have so many things to tell you," I say. I look straight into his eyes. "W-We… we… we have a son, Finnick! He's two, almost three. I-I… I named him Finn, after you, because he looks just like you." Finnick beams at me happily.

"That's wonderful," Finnick says. "What else do you have to tell me?"

Tears start flowing again. "I-I… T-They're… having another Hunger Games! For the Capitol children! This is what we fought for, remember? A-And they… they don't care! President C-Coin had us v-vote. P-Peeta, Beetee and I voted no, but J-Johanna, Enobaria, Katniss and H-Haymitch… they don't care!" I sob uncontrollably.

"Annie? Annie! Please stop crying," Finnick pleads. I try to stop. "Now look at me." I look at him.

He's wearing… a dress.


	6. Finnick

**Please. Review. PLEASE. Once again, I do not own The Hunger Games. If I did, this story would not exist.**

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><p><em>Finnick.<em>

Annie is stunned into silence. Well, she probably noticed the fact that I'm wearing a dress. "Er, Finnick, you're wearing a dress," she points out. I sigh.

"Well, I can't have what I want all the time," I say, barely hiding what I truly meant. But what I said was true. I can't have what I want all the time. In fact, I almost never have what I want. I wanted a wife, a child. But Death took all those things away from me. Or rather, took me away from them. It isn't fair.

"Unfortunately, I think that's true," Annie replies, giving me a small smile. I nod sadly.

"How's our son like? Is he a good boy?" I ask her. Annie nods vigorously. "Who does he look like?"

"You," Annie answers. I smile at this. The fact that I have a piece of me left in this world makes me feel a little bit better about dying. "He's so much like you, Finnick. He's practically a mini-you. Except he has my smile. Can you believe that?" she asks. I laugh, but inside, I'm crying in despair.

"Yes, I think I can," I say, my eyes already brimming with tears, which will remain unshed. No. I can't cry. Not now. If I cry, Annie will start crying, too. And I hate seeing her cry. It's absolutely heart-wrenching, the way her tears trickle down her cheeks, the way her face screws up when she sobs…

"Finnick… I love you," Annie says suddenly.

"I love you, too," I reply sincerely. "You've been so strong, Annie."

"I have? I barely held it together!" Annie exclaims.

"But the fact remains that you did hold it together," I reason. "That's what makes you the strongest person I know. Stronger than Johanna, stronger than me, stronger than Haymitch, Beetee and even Katniss. You're stronger than them because…" I struggle to find words, "you held it together even when you lost everything. You were able to bring our child into this world even without me."

Annie blushes under the faint light of the candles. "I had a lot of help," she replies.

"But everybody needs help from time to time," I say. I sigh inwardly. I could feel myself slipping away… that means our time is almost over. How could it have been an hour? It felt like twenty minutes. If only the medium was stronger… "Annie, I'm really sorry… I think…"

Annie's eyes widen. She understands. "Oh, Finnick, how am I supposed to live the rest of my life without you? It's only been what, two or three years, and I'm already falling apart! Don't leave me, please, Finnick, don't leave me! I-I… I don't think I can do it alone!" she says, starting to cry.

"There, there, mermaid," I reply. I won't say, 'It'll be all right,' because that's a lie. "You aren't alone, nor will you be. You have Finn. You have Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, Beetee and Haymitch. You have me. I'll be there. I'll be watching you, Annie."

"B-But… I want you here! With me!" Annie sobs. "I can't do this. Not by myself."

"I'll be there, Annie," I promise. "I swear. I'll be there, except you can't see me."

Annie gulps. "Really?" She sounds like a small child seeking reassurance.

"Really." I reply. I kiss her forehead. "Take care of Finn for me." Annie looks at me, tears running down her cheeks. I wipe the tears with my thumb. I swallow. I can barely get the words out, but somehow, I say them. "Annie, our hour is almost up…" I whisper.

"No! No!" Annie pleads.

"Goodbye," I say. "Be strong, Annie. You can do it."

"NO!" Annie shrieks. "NO! Finnick, DON'T GO!"

That's when I pass out.


	7. Goodbyes

**Second to the last chapter. There will be a surprise chapter at the end of this story! :) So please review.**

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><p><em>Maddy.<em>

I wake up to see Annie sobbing in the faint candlelight of the room. Oh. We're still in the Chamber. "Annie," I mutter. "Please stop crying."

Annie makes a feeble attempt to wipe away her tears. "O-Oh, hello, M-Maddy…" she says, her voice quivering, "h-how are you feeling?" I shrug. Poor Annie. She looks like she's been made to relive her nightmares all over again. I feel bad for her. Losing her husband must be pretty rough on her. She's like the DL-6 Incident suspect Yanni Yogi, whose fiancée Polly Jenkins committed suicide.

"I'm all right, but you clearly aren't," I say, sitting up. "Come on, let's go out." I pull up the crying woman, unlock the door and lead her outside, where Mother and Finn are waiting patiently for us to return. "Annie, please," I beg. "Please stop crying."

Annie stops. "Oh, hi, Ms. Fey," Annie says to my mother. "H-Has Finn been a bother?"

Mother smiles. "No, Mrs. Odair, not at all. He's been an absolute angel," she replies. That brings a ghost of a smile to Annie's face. I glance down at the baby in her arms. "He fell asleep half an hour ago, after talking to me endlessly about you." She chuckles softly, so as not to wake Finn.

"Really? What did he say about me?" Annie asks.

"He said, 'My mommy is the best mommy ever. She lets me play in the water all day and after that, we have dinner! We always have fun. Though she isn't the best cook, she's the best mommy in the whole wide world.' Honestly, Annie, I think he's right." Mother says. I see Annie blush a little bit. "How old is he? He can talk pretty well."

"Finn will be three this year," Annie murmurs. Mother gasps.

"Wow, that's really advanced. One day, I'm sure your boy will be really smart. Maddy was already five years old when she learned how to talk." Mother said proudly. Is that something to be bragging about? That when I was Finn's age, I was babbling incoherently? That I was already five years old when I learned how to talk?

"Mother," I say, trying to keep my voice from rising. "That's not really something you should be bragging about."

"Ms. Fey, I think you embarrassed her…" Annie squeaks. Annie's right. She _did_ embarrass me. At least someone here understands!

"Ah, I'm sorry, Maddy," Mother apologizes.

Should I forgive her? Of course I should. Why shouldn't I forgive her? I certainly can't stay mad at my mother forever. "It's all right," I mumble. "Just don't do it again."

Annie scoops up her son. "Thanks a lot, Mrs. Odair." She turns to me. "Thanks a lot, too, Maddy. You gave me a chance to say goodbye to my husband. One day, when Finn is older, I promise I'll come back. He deserves to see his father too. Don't you, Finn?" she coos.

I grin. "You're always welcome here, Annie. Just give me a call if you want to see him again. It's a win-win situation. You get your time with Finnick, and I get my spirit medium training. So you're helping me too," I explain. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome," she replies. Just then, Finn wakes up.

"Hi," he murmurs. I walk over to them.

"Hi, Finn!" I exclaim. "What's up? Is there anything new with you?" Finn laughs. Is he laughing at me? How insulting. I pout. "Why are you laughing at me? I'm not doing anything funny, am I?" I demand. Annie laughs, and so does Mother. I simply roll my eyes.

"Mommy," Finn says, "did you get to see Daddy? How's he like? Is he a nice person? I want to meet him, too!"

"I did get to see Daddy. He's a great man. He, just like you, has bronze hair and green eyes…" Annie recounts. "But you're too young. You'll get to meet him when you're older, Finn, don't you worry." I laugh. Annie turns to me. "Well, I guess we better be going. Thanks a lot."

"It's no problem, really," I reply. "Bye. Come again!"

Annie laughs. "We're sure we will be."


	8. Voice of an Angel

_Annie._

We're back on the train. "Go back to sleep, Finn, it'll be a long way home," I coo.

"Mommy, can you sing for me? Please?" Finn asks. What a strange request. I've never sung in front of anybody before, except maybe Finnick. But he's only heard me sing once or twice. And I have absolutely no idea what to sing. What should I sing? What should I sing…?

Finally, I decide on a song I've heard a few years ago. I remember the lyrics and the tune because I thought the song was really cute. It's called Mary's Song (Oh My My My) by a singer—who was born way before Panem even existed—named Taylor Swift. She has a beautiful voice. "Okay, Finn, I'll sing."

Finn smiles at me serenely. "Yay! Thanks Mommy! You're the best," he says. The last three words make my chest swell in pride.

"Thanks," I say. Since there are no other passengers on the train, I don't hesitate.

"_I was seven and you were nine,  
><em>_I looked at you like the stars that shine,  
><em>_In the sky, the pretty lights._

_And our daddies used to joke about the two of us,  
><em>_Growing up and falling in love.  
><em>_And our mamas smiled, and rolled their eyes,  
><em>_And said, "Oh my my my."_

_Take me back to the house in the backyard trees,  
><em>_Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me.  
><em>_You never did, you never did._

_Take me back when our world was one block wide,  
><em>_I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried.  
><em>_Just two kids you and I,  
><em>_Oh my my my._

_I was sixteen when suddenly,  
><em>_I wasn't that little girl you used to see.  
><em>_But your eyes still shined like pretty lights._

_And our daddies used to joke about the two of us,  
><em>_They never believed we'd really fall in love.  
><em>_And our mamas smiled, and rolled their eyes,  
><em>_And said, "Oh my my my."_

_Take me back to the creek beds we turned up,  
><em>_Two a.m. riding in your truck.  
><em>_And all I need is you next to me._

_Take me back to the time we had our very first fight,  
><em>_Slamming of doors instead of kissing good night.  
><em>_You stayed outside 'til the morning light.  
><em>_Oh my my my._

_A few years had gone and come around,  
><em>_We were sitting at our favorite spot in town.  
><em>_When you looked at me, got down on one knee._

_Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle,  
><em>_The whole town came and our mamas cried.  
><em>_You said, "I do," and I did too._

_Take me home where we met so many years before,  
><em>_We'll rock our babies on the very front porch.  
><em>_After all this time, you and I._

_And I'll be eighty-seven you'll be eighty-nine,  
><em>_I'll still look at you like the stars that shine,  
><em>_In the sky, oh my my my."_

When I finish the song, Finn starts clapping. "You're a great singer, Mommy!" he says.

"Really," I say. I stroke Finn's bronze hair. "And what makes you say that, Finn?" I ask. That's when I realized that I can relate to some parts of the song. It's like what happened between me and Finnick. And if I change some of the lyrics, it'll tell our whole love story. Taylor Swift is simply amazing.

"Your voice sounds like the voice of an angel," he declares. I blush. Finn really is just like his father. He knows how to make people feel good, especially women. No wonder Myra was quite taken with him. Wow, he's only two years old and girls are already chasing after him like dogs chasing a bone coated in gravy. Like Finnick. "Sing it again, please!"

"Okay, but one part only." I reply. I decide to change some lyrics.

_"Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle,_  
><em>Three hundred people came and I almost cried.<em>  
><em>You said 'I do,' and I did too." <em>

When I finish, images of my wedding flash in my mind. I resist the urge to crumple to the floor sobbing. "You're the best singer ever," Finn says. "And the best mommy, too."

Finnick. I wonder if he's watching me right now. I wonder how he would react when I tell him that Finn's already got girls coming after him. He'll probably laugh and say, 'That's my boy.' And I'll probably roll my eyes. Finnick. Finnick. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him.

Finnick… I miss him so much. His last words to me echo in my head: _Be strong, Annie. You can do it._

"Oh, Finn," I say. Finn grins at me. That's my smile, I tell myself.


	9. Surprise Chapter

**So here's the surprise chapter! This is what would've happened if Finnick was actually alive. Please. Review.**

* * *

><p><em>Annie.<em>

"I'm really sorry, Annie," Maddy apologizes. "I wasn't able to channel your husband. It's either… someone stronger than me tried to channel him, or your husband is still alive." _Still alive. _Her words strike a chord in me, sending ripples of hope throughout my body. Could it be? Could my Finnick still be alive?

"Could it be? Could he really be alive?" I ask hopefully. Maddy scratches the back of her neck.

"Annie, there's a very, very slim chance that he could still be alive… but yeah, there's a possibility…" Maddy says. Very, very slim chance… but it's still possible! "But, don't you think it would be more possible that someone stronger than me is channeling your Finnick…?" she asks. I shrug.

"I guess so…" I say. "Hey, I'm not the medium here."

Finally, Maddy's mother speaks up. "It's not possible that someone stronger than you is channeling Mr. Odair. I have ordered everyone in Kurain village not to channel that spirit in particular until the channeling session is over. So yes, he is probably still alive," Myra says.

"So," Finn says, "does that mean… that Daddy is not dead?"

"Finn, your father is most certainly not dead," Myra confirms.

Finn ponders this for a moment. "But… how is this possible?" he asks. "I don't get it. How could Daddy be alive? We all thought that he died in the sewer, along with some other people." I flinch at his words. It's bad enough that Finn knows about how Finnick died. But what's worse is the matter-of-fact tone he uses when he talks about it.

"Finn, how did you know about it?" I ask him. I most certainly did not tell him. He's only two years old! I'm already twenty-five and I still can't handle the truth. I wonder who told him. Hmm. It's probably Katniss… or Haymitch or Gale… or maybe even Johanna. Hmm…

"Aunt Johanna told me." Finn replies. Yep. It's Johanna. I need to have a word with her soon. I open my mouth to say something, but then Finn interrupts me. "No, Mommy! It's not what you think. Aunt Johanna was telling me about how brave Daddy was!" So Johanna also taught him to cover for her if I ever find out.

"Really?" I ask. Finn gives me an angelic smile. "What did Aunt Johanna say?"

"She was telling me all about Daddy's Hunger Games, and about Daddy's second Hunger Games! She said that Daddy was very brave. And very smart, too!" Finn exclaims. What? So Johanna told him about the Hunger Games, too? I really need to have a word with her.

"…I really need to have a word with Johanna soon," I murmur.

"Mommy… Aunt Johanna didn't do anything bad. Please don't get mad at her," Finn pleads. "I was the one who asked her about Daddy." Oh, so Johanna also taught him to take the blame if I ever find out. Very nice, Johanna. I hope you remember the fact that he's only two years old!

"I'll see about that," I say, trying to keep my voice level.

"What's this 'Hunger Games' you're talking about?" Myra asks. I zone out, and disturbing images flash in my head. Drew's head getting severed from his body. The corpses floating lifelessly in the water. My cell in the Capitol. I shake my head to clear it. _Be strong, Annie. Explain it to her._

And I do, little by little. I imagine Finnick's face whenever the images come. Finally, I finish. That was so hard…

"Oh, I see," Myra says. Maddy doesn't say anything. "Mrs. Odair… Were you in the Hunger Games?" I nod slowly. _Drew's head rolling on the ground…_ Finnick's bronze hair… Finnick's green eyes… "I see. I'm sure it was quite traumatizing." I nod again.

"Mommy, are you all right? You look a bit dazed," Finn says.

I focus on a picture I keep on my bedside table: my wedding picture. In the picture, I was wearing a beautiful green dress, and Finnick was wearing one of Peeta's tuxedos.

I smile. "Yes, Finn, I'm all right."


End file.
